Tuesday, December 31, 2019

Trader Joe's Vanilla Overnight Oats

As I sit here in the early morning hours of New Years Eve 2019, eating some Trader Joe's Vanilla Overnight Oats, I can't help but think about life a little bit.

It's kinda like oatmeal, isn't it?

Sometimes it's pretty good, other times it can be a lot better. You gotta take your lumps and move on. Sometimes it's better to stir it up a little, other times it's best to let it be and wait.

And to relate a little further to these new(ish) overnight oats...it's definitely a little nutty, but overall sweet. It's perishable, so take proper care. And sometimes there's no shame in taking the easy, convenient route to get through whatever lies ahead of you, as long as you're prepared ahead of time.

Okay, enough of the life coaching....it's not like I'm some Ralph Marston-esque guru. I'm just a 37 year old dude who ate some oatmeal, dangit, and I stayed in my own bed last night, not at a Holiday Express. Let's talk oatmeal.

This particular overnight oats seems really heavy on the almond flavor, coming from the almond milk/beverage the oats were soaked in. If you're not an almond fan, keep away...but at least it's good almond flavor. If I had some actual nuts to sprinkle in, I would just to mix it up a bit. There's also a decent amount of vanilla to really sweeten up everything, too. No added sugar needed, and that comes from a sugar junkie. There is a bit of a sticky sweet aftertaste that lingers on, which abates quickly with a little coffee or fruit.

It was surprising to see dates on the ingredient list, because they're imperceptible in pretty much every way. I don't taste them and I don't feel them. Of course, as in real life, dates can be really sneaky...let's move on, please.

As one would expect, the TJ overnight oats are a bit cold and somewhat lumpy but not in a gross way. I'm not smart enough to know if it's okay to heat them up, as the package gave no microwave instructions. I don't see why not except for maybe moving the oats to a microwave safe dish.

Not bad for $1.99. The oats are decent enough quality and there's a lot of convenience here, which always comes at a premium. I'm not sure I'd stock up on them personally, but for my lovely bride and I, it probably wouldn't be bad to have a couple around for one of our trademark crazy mornings on the run. That's just life, all rolled up and ready to go, and it's not bad.

Bottom line: Trader Joe's Vanilla Overnight Oats: 7.5 out of 10 Golden Spoons

12 comments:

  1. I need to get into the business of convenience food and create some totally unnecessary product with a big profit margin. It's just so easy to throw some oats & milk in a tupperware, stash it in the fridge and in the morning voila-overnight oats. Convenience is good, but people are just lazy! Not you, obviously. Just saying, you know? Now to figure out how to take advantage of that and make my fortune...

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  2. Went to trader Joe's for the first time. Disappointing to say the least.got home and the food was all out dated. Just threw it away and will stick with Aldi

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    1. You should have returned it. They have a great return policy.

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    2. I go to Trader Joe’s EVERY SINGLE WEEK, at least once, sometimes twice. I NEVER GOT AN ITEM OUT IF DATE. The expiration dates ARE SHOWN IN EVERY SINGLE ITEM. I have nothing against Aldi’s but THE MARKETS ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT; it’s like TARGET and WALMART. One is more “classy” and the other one is more average items. I got to Walmart instead of Target once the items I get there are average with average prices, not overpriced. But I do not expect to have pricey items there. On the contrary of Trader Joe’s and Aldi’s. It’s an option... No need to try to trash a market that it was probably a bit more expensive than you’ve expected...

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  3. Get a life.why do you have the need for attention.

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  4. TJ Is Great wouldn't be without it

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  5. Wow, weird comment section this time around. Anyway, I liked these a lot, but there's almost TOO much date and sweetness. 12g of sugar is a bit more than I like to start my day out with - and as someone else mentioned, it's super easy to soak your own oats in milk.

    I'll do a "mocha" one with oats, milk, chia seeds, espresso powder (I bet a splash or two of real coffee would work too), cocoa powder (or chocolate protein powder), vanilla extract, and just like a teaspoon of maple syrup for sweetener. I think that should also work out to less than 12g...

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    1. 1T of maple has 14g sugar(!) plus whatever's in the milk and protein powder.

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  6. I’ve been shopping at TJ’s for over 15 years!! Love the store .No complaints and the employees are the best ! Prices are great for great quality food 🍞🥯🥐🍠

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